Discovered
by Legacy of the Phoenix
Summary: The existence of meteor freaks is revealed to the citizens of Smallville, leading Clark and his friends to deal with the fallout and the emergence of a powerful new enemy. Shares continuity with "Balance" and "Transfer". Clyla. I own only the characters John Togan and Mark.


In his loft, a frustrated Clark is doing a three-page paper for Principal Reynolds when Pete arrives.

"What's he got you doing _this_ time?" Pete sits.

"Writing about all my hobbies and interests." Clark says with an annoyed tone. "I swear, this guy has it out for me."

"He's really got a problem with you and Lex, doesn't he?" Pete remarks. "Not that I blame him."

"Lex went back to Metropolis after Lana died, so I don't see how." Clark shrugs.

"Maybe you oughta tell him the truth." Pete jokingly suggests, "You spend half your days, your life, saving people and that's why you're sometimes late to school. And why you skip every now and then. Think he'll cut you some, then."

"Or look at me like I'm nuts and make me write a ten-page essay about fiction and non-fiction." Clark replies.

"Well, if you show him, he might not look at you like you're nuts. He'll think _he_ is." Pete continues.

Clark shakes his head with a smirk, "How'd it go with Chloe? Or do I have to step in..again?"

"You're not stepping anywhere 'cause the date went smooth." Pete gestures.

"Glad to hear it." Clark asks, "How soon you two wanna try a double-date?"

"Next month. No offense, but I love my alone time with her. But now, it's guy time." Pete sits down. "Wanna break from the pape and bounce some ball?"

"Not sure." Clark remarks, "For all I know, Reynolds is probably watching. Looking for any excuse to make me write."

"Yeah, well, if that's true, we can just tell him that you're trying to get your brain pumping." Pete grabs the basketball. "Come on, man!"

Clark relents, "Two games."

* * *

Meanwhile, at Smallville High despite the hour, Kyla and Chloe are at the _Torch_ posting new photos and alleged powers written on notes onto the _Wall of Weird_ , which has recently been heavily updated due to the girls' joint hunt for meteor freaks this past week. Today's consist of a boy with geokinetic powers, a girl with the power to convert herself and other things into clay, a girl who has telepathic control over animals, and a boy with self-regeneration powers.

"What a haul!" Chloe rubs her hands together excitedly.

"Yeah, it is." Kyla agrees. "And I don't think we're even _half_ done."

"Not even a quarter." Chloe looks to Kyla, "I'm serious. It's real nice to hang around someone who gets what you do. Clark and Pete have always given me a hand, but they were never really serious about it. But you?"

"Part of me wants to say it's a girl thing, but I'm sure most girls would sooner paint their nails than chase a myth." Kyla shrugs. "It's so funny people think that just because something's a myth that it isn't true. I remember telling Clark that once."

"And that's why we're doing this." Chloe reminds her. "All we gotta do now is catch one in action and make it a live feed. You game?"

"Oh, yeah." Kyla nods.

The two girls leave the _Torch_ and lock up. Both seem unaware that Mark has been discreetly spying on them, especially Kyla, as he is still suspicious about her after her display of unnatural strength when he tried to grope her last week. Based on what he has just heard the girls talk about in addition to his noticing the _Wall of Weird_ , he begins to wonder.

* * *

That night at the kitchen table, Clark sits with his parents during dessert and speaks with them. This is the first time in a while that Martha has eaten with her family due to her work with Lionel Luthor.

"Can't believe I'm saying this, but Reynolds actually has a point…this time." Clark admits. "I don't really have much of an identity. I mean, football, racing, the _Torch._ Those are all things I do with Pete and Chloe. The caves might be for me and Kyla, but they're mostly for the Kawatche. I help a lot of people. I do work around the farm. And I make great grades. But…who am I? Really?"

"Well, son, that's not something we can tell you." Jonathan explains, "You have to go out there and find out. Try something on your own. See if you like it. And if you don't, try something else."

"That's right." Martha agrees, "You're 15 now. You need to know what it is you like and don't like. Because before you know it, whatever you like could be the thing you want to do in life."

Clark ponders on their advice.

* * *

Elsewhere, Kyla and Chloe stakeout at the Creekside Foundry to observe the boy with geokinetic powers, who has caused three people to become stuck in the ground at their respective torsos!

 _"Can't believe we struck out with the other three."_ Chloe complains from behind the lead wall, "I mean, who between the ages of 14 and 18 care about curfews?"

 _"Go to Granville sometime and find out."_ Kyla shushes.

"I'm not asking! I'm telling you!" The boy causes them to slowly sink in the ground, "Tell the Sheriff what you did or I'm gonna do to you what you tried to do to me!"

"Agh! Agh! Agh!" The three panic as their respective necks begin to touch dirt and rock the more they sink!

Chloe records the incident with her camera while Kyla jots something down.

"I can't hear you!" The boy urges the three, whom are about to _literally_ eat dirt!

"All right! All right! Okay!" One of the men shouts. "We'll do it!"

The boy raises each of them up and ominously warns, "Try to leave town and I'll find you."

SHUNK! RUMBLE! The boy sinks himself into the ground and burrows underneath in order to leave the area.

As soon as the three shaken criminals enter their car and leave, Chloe stops recording. Kyla steps out with her cell phone,

"Clark, we got something! Come meet me at Chloe's! Bring Pete, too!" Kyla excitedly hangs up.

* * *

At Chloe's house, the four friends watch the unassailable proof of meteor freak activity in their own town via the Chloe's camera.

"The guy's name is John Togan." Kyla points out.

"The kid whose parents disappeared after he was found buried alive?" Pete remembers; Kyla nods, "And _barely_ alive? Yeah."

"How much you wanna bet there were some meteor rocks in that dirt?" Clark realizes.

"Not just _some,_ Clark." Chloe reveals, "Where they found him, there were enough rocks to put Eric Summers' collection to shame."

"Wait, if John's parents disappeared, he'd be trying to get those three to spill where they are. He wouldn't be trying to get them to admit what they did unless…" Clark deduces.

"They killed them." Kyla finishes.

The four friends look to each other.

"A meteor freak and a murder-mystery." Chloe ambitiously rubs her hands together. "Two birds, one scoop."

"You both need to be careful. I'm serious." Clark advises.

"We've been down this road enough times to leave permanent tracks, Clark." Chloe insists. "We'll be fine."

"And I'll be watching." Clark whispers into Kyla's ear; she nods with a smirk despite his seriousness, greatly appreciating his protectiveness.

* * *

The following day after school, Clark and Kyla explore another cavern of the Kawatche Caves. Kyla is invested as usual, but Clark is distant.

"Oh, Clark! Look!" Kyla climbs over to a wall having multiple symbols of different weaponry; knives, spears, and even a bow-and-arrow set.

"What does it say?" Clark wonders curious.

"It says, _warriors worthy of Naman's judgement will be gifted with the weapons necessary to defeat Sageeth's army_." Kyla translates. She then jokes, "Think Pete qualifies?"

"Not sure I'd trust him with _plastic_ arrow much less a real one." Clark helps his girlfriend down.

"What's wrong?" Kyla touches Clark's face in curious affection, sensing his distracted behavior.

They are briefly interrupted by the sound of Luthorcorp bulldozers from above.

"Besides _that,_ me." Clark clarifies, "I'm not sure what to do with my life, Kyla. I don't know what I want to be. I don't know some things I like to do myself. Never had to think about any of that until Reynolds gave me another paper."

"Well, I think we both know what you're going to do in life, hence why we're here." Kyla puts her arms around his shoulder and grins.

"I don't think I'd want to be _Naman_ all the time." Clark admits. "I gotta have _me_ time, too. Thing is, I don't know what to do with myself. I mean, I do things with my parents and Pete and Chloe and you but…"

"You don't know what _you_ really like?" Kyla deduces.

"Yeah. I mean, no." Clark sighs.

"Hmm. Let's take an off-day." Kyla insists. "Find some things you like."

"You sure?" Clark looks around the caves.

"No matter what Luthor does, these caves should still be here when we get back." Kyla pulls Clark by his hand and leads him out of the caves to help him find something he might like.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the morgue, Chloe and Pete sneak past security and manage to enter the room.

 _"You know how much trouble we're gonna be in?"_ Pete whispers to her.

 _"You can't get in trouble if you don't get caught."_ Chloe retorts, _"And how is it our farm feathered friend has a greater sense of adventure than you?"_

Chloe begins checking around until she notices two bodies having respective toe-tags with the same surname: Togan. Chloe pulls the cloth off of both, exposing their cadavers. She then compares the cadavers to an older photo of the both of them still alive and well before she proceeds to take pictures of their deceased state.

 _"It's them all right."_ Pete realizes.

 _"Then, we've got our story."_ Chloe looks to Pete, _"I'm so happy I could kiss you, but somehow, that'd be awkward."_

 _"No kidding."_ Pete pulls the cloths back over both bodies. _"Let's go."_

The two teens drop to the floor when they notice someone come in. To avoid being exposed, the two hold hands as they crawl out towards the door when the person walks further inside. They manage to crawl out the doorway.

"Hmm?" The person, Dr. Yeager, turns when he hears a sudden sound outside the door, not realizing it is Chloe and Pete's rapid footfalls away from the door.

* * *

That night, in Clark's bedroom, Kyla is laying on Clark's bed half-asleep and smiling as Clark himself expresses joy in writing a story on his computer. And not a story for the _Torch._ A story to be published. A book.

"Why haven't I done this before?" Clark wonders to himself out loud.

"You never let yourself focus on it. Channel it." Kyla points out. "You're so busy zipping around helping people and going to school that you haven't had time for second thought. The books you like to read. The papers you write at the _Torch._ Even though you bury the lead sometimes. You're a writer. It's something you're made to do. Besides the other thing, of course."

Clark stops typing and bends over Kyla on his bed, "How'd I ever get by without you? What would I do without you?"

"Let's not think about that." Kyla then yanks Clark by the shirt and pulls him on his back onto his bed. She then lays atop him and gazes him in the eyes.

"You were about to doze off." Clark comments, surprised at her sudden display of energy.

"I'm never too tired for you." Kyla passionately kisses her boyfriend; he reciprocates.

Kyla's phone suddenly rings. Though reluctant, she sits up and answers, "Hey, Chlo!"

 _"Chlo?"_ Clark repeats mockingly; Kyla puts her hand on his mouth and playfully mouths, _"Don't hate!"_ She resumes addressing Chloe, "I was kinda busy, but what's up? No way! You did?! Heck yeah, I'm coming over! Clark, too!"

"What gives?" Clark asks surprised as Kyla pulls his arms to get him off of the bed.

"It's Chloe. She's wants to show us the story before she prints it." Kyla explains excitedly.

"Oh, yeah. We need to be there." Clark immediately springs up, grabs Kyla's hand, and heads out of his bedroom door, almost brushing against Jonathan, who was checking up on them.

"Hey, Dad! Gotta borrow the truck!" Clark runs down the stairs with Kyla.

"Later, Mr. K!" Kyla leaves out the front door with Clark.

* * *

At Chloe's house, Pete, Clark, and Kyla have just finished listening to Chloe's article, which also credits Kyla and includes the photos she took of Mr. and Mrs. Togan's bodies.

"Sheriff Ethan already went public about John's parents and he's got a confession from the guys who killed them." Clark points out.

"Oh, I know. I actually thought it'd take him another day to sort through everything. But besides the fat I got to trim now, what'd you think?" Chloe asks.

"I think it's time Smallville learned to believe in myths." Kyla high-fives Chloe.

 _"I think they're just a little too happy about this."_ Pete whispers to Clark as the girls talk.

 _"You think, huh?"_ Clark replies, _"John's gonna come for them. Others, too."_

 _"Yeah, well. That's why I'm here."_ Pete taps Clark on the back, _"And you too, I guess."_

The boys snicker jokingly.

* * *

And sure enough, Chloe and Kyla's story reaches the public. Naturally, the local Smallville newspaper rejects it even with the video evidence. Fortunately, the girls have a back-up in the form of the internet and release it there. The entire town has a reaction. Some are skeptical. Others are fearful. And miraculously, Chloe and Kyla remain unscathed and untargeted…for a while.

* * *

At school, Chloe and Kyla receive a mixed-to-positive reaction from their peers even now as they walk the halls to reach their respective boyfriends at the _Torch._

"You're kidding?" Pete asks Clark, "He got on you for being _one_ line short?"

"He says three-page means three-page." Clark rolls his eyes. "But hey. At least he accepted it."

"Think he'll back off now?" Pete wonders.

"Not a chance." Clark flatly responds.

"Hi boys!" Chloe and Kyla walk in to kiss their respective boyfriends.

"You girls are the talk of the town." Clark remarks.

"Yeah, but they're talking way more about the meteor freaks." Chloe grins in enjoyment. "Every eye in Smallville is peeled."

"And that's going to make things _so_ much easier." Kyla points out. "Now if something happens, no one's going to just sweep it or cover it up. It's got to be dealt with. No more lies."

"Are you not even bothered by the fact that that Togan kid might go after your Dad?" Pete asks.

"And why would he do that?" Chloe shrugs. "He didn't expose him. I did. _We_ did. And besides, he should've been more careful."

"I can't believe how casual you're being." Clark shakes his head.

* * *

Later that day, during gym, Mark is throwing football with some guys while Quigley observes while the girls are running track for Kern, the new female coach. Chloe and Kyla are among the girls and run together.

"It's actually good we're running." Chloe jokes, "We might have to do it for real one day."

"What if they've got speed? _Real_ speed?" Kyla asks.

"Let's not think about that." Chloe laughs; as does Kyla. Suddenly,

RUMBLE! CROSH! A huge mound of dirt shaped like a tentacle emerges from the track's field and grabs both Chloe and Kyla, yanking them onto the field in front of _him._ The boy with geokinetic powers. John Togan.

"Maybe you should've thought about that story you wrote." John coldly replies.

"It's him! Agh! It's Togan! It's one of them! The freaks! Agh!" The gym students, male and female, and their coaches make a run back to the school; the coaches intending to call for help to save Kyla and Chloe. Despite running, Mark remains invested in John's assault on the girls.

"You know the problem with a small town?" John bitterly snaps at the girls. "Word gets around fast. I mean, if a 5-year-old so much as drops an ice cream cone and cries, even the Mayor's gonna know about it. Now, picture that, but a _thousand_ times worse, when you're a... _meteor freak_ in a town so small that it's called "Smallville". I was tryin' to find some, _some,_ semblance of a normal life after those three crooks got what they deserved. But ever since you two blasted that story about me and others like me on the internet, I don't just got the Sheriff lookin' for me. I got guys from Belle Reve lookin' for me! Because of you! Did either of you think that maybe there was a reason why guys like me don't tell anybody about what we are?"

"Yeah well, killing us isn't going to change anything." Chloe points out.

"Who said anything about killing you?" John reveals, "I'm an eye-for-an-eye kind of guy. You put me out in the open. Now, I'm gonna do the same to you."

"What do you mean?" Kyla asks; she taps into her wolf powers and begins to claw her way out of the dirt from behind. She frees herself enough room to reach her cell phone and begins to skillfully text Clark for help despite not being able to see her phone.

"You know how many _freaks_ want your pretty little heads on a platter?" John explains, "As many as the suits that are after _us._ The difference? We won't be the ones getting caught. Now, let's go."

"Dagh!" Chloe's head is covered by rock and dirt.

He starts to do the same to Kyla when,

CRUNCH! Kyla uses her strength to break free from the rest of the rock and dirt holding her, slightly shocking the off-guard John, who observes her wolf eyes and wolf/human hybrid appearance.

"Well. Well. Looks I'm not the only freak around here." John spitefully glares at Kyla. "Just the only one that's not a hypocrite!"

RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! TOSH! TOSH! TOSH! John causes three massive balls of dirt and rock to rise from the field and telekinetically tosses them at Kyla!

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! Kyla uses her wolf speed and agility to dodge each and every rock as she simultaneously rushes towards John.

RUMBLE! John puts up a shield of rock and dirt to protect himself from Kyla's claws and strength.

CRASH! CROSH! CLATTER! Chunks of rocks and dirt fall from the shield as a result of Kyla's attacks.

RUMBLE! Kyla uses her reflexes and speed to dodge four oncoming giant rocks.

SMACK! CRASH! Kyla fails to dodge the next lone one due to it being the one an unconscious Chloe is trapped in, having realized it with her wolf senses. Because of this, she crashes onto the ground and returns to her Human form, remaining conscious due to her enhanced wolf durability.

"Where were we?" RUMBLE! John encases the off-guard Kyla in a coffin-like mound of dirt and rock, making extra sure the latter cannot break free with her claws and strength this time. He starts to cover her face when…

WOOSH! John is sped away by Clark, whom has recognized Kyla's text and come to help.

Recognizing that it is her boyfriend and managing to break free due to John no longer being in control, Kyla grins warmly, "Go get him _…Naman."_

In the woods, Clark faces off against John.

"What are you doing? You should be on _my_ side, _not_ their's!" John yells in outrage.

"Look, it doesn't have to be like this." Clark tries to reason. "You can still have a life."

"How?" John mocks, "Change my name? My look? Go to another town? Meet someone that doesn't think I'm a monster?"

"It's better than Belle Reve." Clark continues, "You can do that. You're _not_ a monster, John. You could've killed those guys that killed your parents, but you didn't."

"Yeah, I did." John admits with a sadistic grin, "When they were being shipped to prison in the next county, I caught up with them and buried them alive just like they did me. Like I told your girlfriends, I'm an eye-for-an-eye kind of guy."

Realizing that he cannot get through to this one, Clark replies, "Yeah? Well, that stops here."

"No, it doesn't." RUMBLE! John raises four massive balls of dirt and rock around Clark and has them bum-rush towards the latter in order to crush him!

WHAM! TEEEERZZZ! Thinking fast, Clark uses his incredible strength to effortlessly destroy the two balls of dirt and rock on his sides with his fists and the one behind him with a back-kick before he vaporizes the one in front of him with heat vision.

"You…!" RUMBLE! BOOM! Surprised but more-so frustrated, John causes the ground beneath him and Clark to explode and many jagged, big rocks to go flying towards Clark.

SWOOOOOOOOOOOSH! Thinking fast when he notices that some of those rocks are meteor rocks, Clark uses super-breath to blow them all away from him; super-breath being a power he discovered not too long ago and a clear result of the timeline change he made to save Kyla months ago. Clark storms towards John to end his madness.

"You gotta be kidding me!" RUMBLE! SHUNK! CRASH! John proceeds to cause Clark to quickly sink up to his neck in the ground before he has a massive rock descend and strike Clark in the head and through the ground!

Certain he has finished his enemy, John makes his way back to Kyla, who has freed the still-unconscious Chloe from her tomb of dirt and rock.

"You should've ran. You might've had a chance." John prepares to use his powers to trap the two girls again, but notices that Kyla has a triumphant smile on her face.

BOOM! Clark, completely unaffected by John's last assault due to his invulnerability, bursts out of the ground in front of the flabbergasted young geokinetic.

"I said, "this stops here"." Clark reiterates.

"Wh-What are you?!" John stands his ground in caution despite his fear.

WOOSH! BAM! Clark catches John off-guard with his speed to grab both of his hands and knocks him unconscious with a restrained headbutt. Setting him on the ground gently, Clark looks to his girlfriend, "You okay?"

"Better now." Kyla admits.

* * *

That night in the loft, Clark speaks with Pete on his cell while Kyla lays on the couch deep in her thoughts.

"Yeah, just keep giving us heads up. Later, Pete." Clark hangs up and looks to Kyla, "Chloe's finally awake. And you're not gonna believe the first thing she said."

"How many more are after us?" Kyla says.

"Yeah. That's _exactly_ what she said." Clark sits on the couch and puts Kyla's head on his lap.

"No, seriously. How many more do you think wanna come after us?" Kyla sits up, "I mean, I knew it would happen, but I can't believe I didn't _really_ think about this. _Me!"_

"What are you talking about?" Clark asks, wanting to understand.

"You and I understand each other because we're both different. We both have secrets. And we both want to be at least a _little_ normal." Kyla tells her boyfriend. "John's dangerous, but he's still someone whose different and wanted to be normal. And what did I do? I put him in the spotlight. He's right. I'm a hypocrite."

"No. Look." Clark tells her, "You and Chloe both wanted to prove to everyone that there were people with abilities out there so that they'd know the truth. That way, they could try and protect themselves and the people they care about better. You didn't do it to ruin lives. I don't like what went down with John any more than you, but if it wasn't him, it would've been someone else. It just means we have to be more sensitive. Trust me. There are people who are different _and_ good."

Kyla locks eyes with her boyfriend, "What would I do without you?"

"Let's not think about that." Clark kisses her passionately.

* * *

At his house, Mark comes out of the shower and looks at the video feature on his phone in anticipation. The video shows Kyla, in her wolf/human state, breaking Chloe free from her dirt-and-rock tomb. Evidently, during John's attack, Mark has disobeyed his coaches in order to go back and confirm his suspicions about Kyla by recording her true nature with his phone. It seems he has succeeded.

"Gotcha!" Mark grins.


End file.
